Thousands of Starbucks stores could soon draw folks who need more than just a cup of liquid energy. Procter & Gamble Co. plans to expand a pilot program that will allow customers of the nation’s largest coffee chain to wirelessly recharge their mobile phones.

If the national roll-out of P&G’s Duracell Powermat wireless battery chargers proves successful at Starbucks, other types of locations might jump on board. Think of any place where users of smartphones scramble to secure an electrical outlet when the batteries start running low.

“Starbucks is transforming the way consumers get power to their phones, in much the same way it made WiFi a standard amenity in public places,” said Stassi Anastassov, president of the Duracell division of Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG). “This endeavor is a critical step in Duracell’s vision to make dead battery anxiety a thing of the past.”

Duracell Powermat is a joint venture between P&G’s Duracell brand and Powermat Technologies, which is based in Israel. The wireless chargers at Starbucks will comply with the standard of the Power Matters Alliance, which was founded in 2012 by P&G and Powermat Technologies. Any PMA-certified device will be able to recharge by placing it on a designated table or counter at Starbucks.

Smartphone makers that are members of the alliance include AT&T, Blackberry, HTC, Huawei, LG, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Samsung, TI and ZTE. Duracell Powermat is among makers of PMA-certified smartphone cases and portable batteries.

“When Starbucks introduced WiFi in their stores in 2001, 95 percent of devices didn’t have WiFi – and multiple standards hampered the industry,” Anastassov said. “The rest is history. Starbucks’ plans to offer Powermat nationally is likely to settle any lingering standards question - and usher wireless power into the mainstream.”

On Thursday, it was announced that the national roll-out would begin with Starbucks stores in San Francisco’s bay area.

Duracell Powermat stations will be added to stores in other major markets in 2015. The chargers will eventually be placed in all of Starbucks’ company-operated stores and Teavana Fine Teas + Tea Bars. Pilot programs at locations in Europe and Asia are expected within the year. Starbucks has nearly 20,000 stores worldwide, including Teavana, Seattle’s Best Coffee and Evolution Fresh retail locations.

“We were pleased with the customer response to the pilot tests, and we’re now expanding this offering nationally to provide our customers a quality and reliable experience as they use our stores as their respite, their office away from home or as a gathering place with their friends and family,” said Adam Brotman, chief digital officer at Starbucks.